Prim's Game
by divergentandproudofit
Summary: "As a reminder that not even the victors can overcome the power of the Capitol, the Reaping will be composed of past victors' friends and family." When Prim is chosen as a tribute in the 75th games, she's sure she's going to die. Gale is desperate to protect her, even at the cost of his life.What will happen when an outside force interferes- that strange little thing called love?
1. Chapter 1

_If I die young, bury me in satin, lay me down on a bed of roses, sink me in the river at dawn, send me away with the words of a love song._

If I Die Young by The Band Perry

* * *

I can barely hear her voice over the sound of the siren calling us to the Reaping. "As long as you have it, nothing bad can happen to you."

My fingers close around the pin, a mockingjay in flight.

Nothing bad can happen.

The memory flashes through my head in an instant as I take my place at the Reaping. I'm scared. More scared than I've ever been before.

Because for this year's Quarter Quell, the family and friends of the victors are going into the Arena.

And I'm not stupid. Given all the trouble my sister has caused, I'm probably guaranteed a spot in the Games. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of her for showing the Capitol that we're not just pieces in their Games.

But I just may have to pay the price.

Lately I've been going out into the woods with Katniss, suppressing my fear and letting her teach me how to hunt.

Who knows? I might need the skill.

"It's going to be okay," Katniss whispers, squeezing my hand before going to the back of the crowd. Our mother stands next to me, tense and withdrawn.

She shouldn't be here. She should be out of the Reaping for good.

"Welcome, welcome." Effie's voice lacks her usual verve. She isn't as shallow as she seems. She must know what's at stake. "Welcome to the third Quarter Quell!"

Katniss catches my eye, and nods her head in Effie's direction. I have to stifle a giggle. Her orange-gold wig has listed slightly to the left.

"Now before we begin, I have a very special video for you, brought to you from the Capitol!"

I absently stroke the gold mockingjay pin that Katniss lent me for luck. Even though I am wearing a pretty green dress this year instead of last year's Reaping outfit, and not as many nervous people are standing around me, I have an unsettling sense of deja vu.

After the movie finishes, Effie continues. "As you know, for this year's Quarter Quell, the friends and family of past victors will be going into the Arena." Her voice cracks on the word 'arena'. I squeeze my eyes shut. Better to pretend it isn't real. None of it exists.

"As usual, ladies first."

Effie reaches a pale arm into the glass ball.

Please not me. Please don't let it be me.

"Primrose Everdeen."

I almost scream. I knew that this would happen. It's not fair.

Just before I turn to make my way onto the stage, I glance helplessly at my mother.

She looks exactly as she did a month after my father died. Pale. Cold. Unable to do anything helpful.

I take a deep breath and walk up to face my fate.

"Well? Any volunteers?"

A year ago, I was supposed to be standing here. But when Katniss volunteered for me, she gave me a chance.

"Yes, to live," she had said when I told her that.

"No. To do something," I had replied.

It's time to make those words be true.

"Alright then. On to the boys."

It's so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

"Rory Hawthorne. "

Please no. Not Gale's broth-

"I volunteer as tribute!"

The voice that rings through the square almost breaks my heart. Of course, he would do this.

I can't kill him.

And Gale can't kill me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chapter because all I'm doing is sitting on my bed recovering from Hunger Games camp. Yes, there is such a thing. It was awesome (besides getting rained on while sleeping in a shelter I built in the woods). **

**No, I didn't kill anyone.**

* * *

_And the hardest part was letting go, not taking part, it's the hardest part..._

The Hardest Part by Coldplay

* * *

I lean my head against the window glass and try not to cry. I left everything I know and love behind in Twelve.

Well, almost everything.

"Prim?" Katniss gently touches my shoulder. She's worried for me, and she has every right to be. I will most likely be dead in a week.

It's as hard on her as it is on me. Since Haymitch is completely wasted, she and Peeta are mentors for me and Gale. Not only will she have to watch me die, she has to come to the Capitol with me. Train me. Get me sponsors.

If I die, she will blame herself.

She holds a steaming cup of hot chocolate out to me, and I take it with a quiet "thank you." Hot chocolate is one of my favorite Capitol foods. We couldn't afford it back when we lived in the Seam, but now that we're rich we can have it whenever we want.

The door slides open and Effie trots into the room, followed by a very drunken Haymitch.

"Well. I can't say that I'm happy about this arrangement, but even though you're here, you get to enjoy the luxuries of the Capitol. Dinner is in two hours. Katniss and Peeta will show you to your rooms, and then you may do what you please until six o'clock."

I roll my eyes. Even though Effie has been a constant presence in our house since Katniss won the Games, I still am not used to her strange Capitol accent and her obsession with manners.

"Where's the ice?" Haymitch slurs, walking over to the dining table. He pulls out a chair to sit down, but misses and ends up on the ground instead.

Gale and Katniss look at each other, amused. Peeta just sighs and helps him up.

"C'mon, Prim. Your room's this way." Katniss grabs my hand and drags me towards the door. I appreciate her concern, but it's not like I'm just an innocent little girl anymore. I've seen Haymitch drunk plenty of times, and ever since Thread replaced Cray as the Head Peacekeeper, more and more people have been brought to our house to heal from the whippings.

But since when have any of us, districts or Capitol, been innocent? We grew up watching bloody deaths on live television. The Capitol sat by and watched while twelve districts starved.

We are all guilty in one way or another.

Katniss hunted illegally. Still does, actually. Gale, before he started hunting, stole from the Peacekeepers and merchants. Peeta's mother hit him on a regular basis.

We are silent victims of suffering.

When I reach my room, still deep in thought, I nearly run into the wall.

"You're acting like Haymitch," I tell myself sternly, and peel off my clothes to take a shower.

I know I must face my demise in the strongest way possible. But the part of me that isn't so brave as I wish is glad that Katniss and Peeta are mentoring me and that Gale will be by my side in the Arena.


	3. Chapter 3

_They will not force us, they will stop degrading us. They cannot control us, and we will be victorious..._

Uprising by Muse

* * *

Everyone is quiet at dinner. I pick at my lamb stew, thinking of all those hungry Seam kids back home every time I lift my fork to take a bite.

Finally, Gale asks, "so what's the strategy?"

Katniss and Peeta look at each other uncomfortably. It's obvious that they haven't really thought about it.

Luckily, Haymitch has sobered up a bit since the Reaping. "You get people to like you. It should be easy to get Prim sponsors since she's Katniss's sister, the Capitol eats that stuff up. The boy's gonna have to work a bit harder, but he's attractive and strong, so that will count in his favor. Above all, stay alive and don't do anything stupid."

Katniss nods. "Fair enough."

Gale and Peeta launch into an argument on the best way to get sponsors. I try to keep up, but eventually just stop listening and watch the minute hand on the clock move slowly. Tick, tock.

"Can I be excused?" I ask Effie. There's no point in me sitting here any longer. I have a lot of thinking to do.

"Yes, Primrose. Be back in time to watch the recap of the Reapings."

I nod even though I probably won't be.

Alone in my room, I curl up on my bed, stare at the wall and think. The youngest victor of the Games was fourteen when he won. And a Career at that. Twelve and thirteen year-olds don't win. End of story.

I don't want to be the next Rue.

Katniss doesn't talk about her much, and during the Games I was actually a bit jealous of her. My sister treated Rue like she was her own sister, and I was confused that Katniss seemed to love her a lot, even though they were from different worlds.

But after Katniss told me all about District Eleven after the Victory tour, I decided not to judge Rue too harshly. After all, Katniss told me the reason she tried to protect Rue in the Arena.

"She didn't have an older sister to protect her, and I wanted to change that. And she reminded me of you."

I hear a soft knock on my door.

"Come in," I say hesitantly.

Katniss steps into the room, the door sliding shut behind her.

"The recap of the Reapings starts in a few minutes."

I nod but don't move.

She sits down next to me. "I'm sorry this happened."

I look at her. "I know. But at the very least, my death should give a boost to the rebels in the districts."

"Prim, you're not going to die." I glare at her. "Says who? I can't hunt. I'm small and weak. President Snow wants me dead because that's the way to break you. And twelve and thirteen year-olds don't win the Hunger Games. Period."

Katniss sighs. "Prim. Please. Snow is against us, but we have Cinna and Haymitch and me and Peeta and Gale. All trying to protect you."

She's right, I realize. I have all these people, and the rebels, on my side. But I'm still going to die. Because it's Snow who has the real power.

I may not see the rebels fight their way to freedom.

But they will see freedom. Maybe not in my lifetime, or theirs. Because they have a weapon stronger than fear.

"Katniss... since the last Games, something's different. I can see it."

She looks up sharply. "What is it? What can you see?"

"Hope."


	4. Chapter 4

_I set fire to the rain, and I threw us into the flames. When it fell something died 'c cause I knew it was the last time_...

Set Fire to the Rain by Adele

* * *

It's awful, really. Watching the reactions of the victors as their loved ones face the Reaping.

Some remain impassive and emotionless. Some clench their fists tightly and some actually cry.

I try to memorize the faces of my competition, but really, only a few stick in my mind. A tall, bronzed woman from District One. A teenage boy who rushes forward to volunteer from District Four. There's a lanky, dark skinned boy from Eleven.

And worst of all, a young girl from Eight who has to detach herself from her two little siblings before she makes her way to the stage. She can't be more than twelve, and she looks almost ready to cry when they ask for volunteers and all you can hear is silence.

One of the announcers sighs in pity. "So young. Poor girl."

"That's Cecelia's daughter, I believe," Effie says in a hushed voice.

I leave the train car before they can make me relive my Reaping all over again.

I don't go back to my room. Instead, I wander around the train for a while until I find a completely empty car at the very back. It has huge windows and comfortable couches and chairs, so I take a seat on a cushy purple sofa and watch the world go by.

I don't know how long it is before I here a knock on the door. I turn around just in time to see Gale slip into the train car and sit down next to me.

"Hi, Prim."

I giggle. "Hi, Gale."

"So what are you doing?"

"Just thinking about... things." By things, he'll know I mean the rebellion,but I can't say anything about it out loud because I'm certain the train is bugged.

"Yeah. So am I. I can't believe this whole Games thing." He sighs. "I'm not sure that Snow knows what he's doing by sending us into the arena."

"The rebels have hope," I whisper. "And hope is the only thing stronger than fear."

Gale grins. "Since when have you gotten so smart, Primrose?"

My smile disappears. "Since they hauled my sister off to the Games and I realized what a cruel world this is."

"Oh." Neither of us can think of anything else to say, so we sit in silence for a while.

I think of District Twelve giving Katniss their silent salute when she volunteered for me. Of the Peacekeepers who knocked on our door to give us the news that from then on, the fence would be fully electrified.

Of Gale, wounded and unconscious, lying helpless on the kitchen table.

Was that when I first felt the odd new weakness stirring inside of me, that thing I've been feeling for the past few months now?

"Primrose." Gale takes my face in his hands. "Are you all right?"

I swallow the fear of death that threatens to overwhelm me. "Not really."

"I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"It's all right." We look at each other for a moment.

"Primrose."

And then he does something completely, utterly insane.

He kisses me.

This is wrong. Too wrong. I should end it. Push him away, NOW.

But I like it. I want to lean into him and...

No. It won't work out.

This all flashes through my head in an instant as I gently but firmly push him back.

"Gale, this can't happen. You can't love me."

_And I can't love you_. As soon as I think the words, I know they aren't true. I do feel for him.

He looks at me, hurt. "Why not?"

"I, well.." I stutter over the words. "You're six years older than me, and Katniss will kill us both if she finds out. Not to mention we're going into the Games and we're supposed to kill each other soon."

"We can always play out the romance in the arena. It worked for Katniss and Peeta."

"And you're crazy if you think the Capitol will let that happen again. They'd kill us, more likely."

"Prim. You feel the same way." It's not a question.

"That's beside the point. This won't work out. I'm sorry, Gale."

I leave the room without looking back.


	5. Chapter 5

**The artist in me is telling me to spend the entire day on my new drawing app. But I forced myself to sit down and write another chapter. Just for you guys!**

* * *

_She's the sea I'm sinking in, He's the ink under my skin..._

Birds of a Feather by the Civil Wars

* * *

Gale says nothing about the kiss in the morning, which makes me hope beyond hope that things can go back to the way they used to be.

But I know that things will never be the same. His kiss changed everything.

No matter what I told him, how many games I try to play, I will never again see his lips in quite the same way.

I might as well just say it.

I can't lose him. And maybe, just maybe, I loved him all along.

"Are you alright, Little Duck?" Katniss asks. "You seem a bit... on edge."

But I don't get a chance to answer her. Because now we're pulling into the Capitol.

It's almost overwhelming. So many bright colors, on the buildings, on banners, and especially on the people.

Gale and I both rush to the window, eager to see the Capitol for the first time. As the train slows down, cheering crowds surround us.

"It's...incredible," he says, awestruck.

"Incredible is the word," Katniss agrees.

I walk back over to the table, sickened by the fact that the cheering Capitol can't wait to watch us die. Or, at least, most of the Capitol.

"Are Cinna and Portia going to be our stylists? " I ask.

Haymitch shakes his head. "Sadly, no. Cinna and Portia are now Katniss and Peeta's personal stylists."

Great. As if my day wasn't bad enough, now I'm stuck with some random Capitol idiot who will dress us in some stupid coal miner's outfit, or worse, have us naked and covered in black dust.

The train stops, and Peacekeepers escort Gale and I to our separate prep rooms.

"See you soon," Katniss says, hugging me tightly, before she leaves for our quarters in the Training Center.

I take a deep breath, steel myself, and push open the door to the prep room.

The second I walk in, my prep team surrounds me, and I'm almost smothered by the bright colors and perfume.

"Hi!" says a blue lady with dark green eyelashes and weird red eye color enhancers. "I'm Lucinda!" "I'm Madura!" exclaims a large woman with bright rainbow colored hair.

"And I'm Xylon!" adds a man with barely any hair and a snake tattoo on his head.

"We're your prep team!" they squeal in unison.

I lie down on a table in the center of the room. This is going to hurt.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter early!**

_Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever. Here's to the damned , to the lost and forgotten, it's hard to get high when you're living on the bottom.._.

People like Us by Kelly Clarkson (which, by the way, is totally the theme song for this chapter :) )

* * *

Hours later I'm dressed in what could be the most sensational costume in the Opening Ceremony, thanks to the preps and my stylist, Kajal.

It's a beautiful knee length dress the color of flames, with a spiked skirt and a v-neck.

Thanks to them, I feel pretty.

I wonder what Gale will say when he sees this.

"Thank you, " I say politely, smiling as I twirl in front of the mirror.

"Our pleasure," replies Kajal kindly. "Ready to go?"

I nod. "Let's do this."

The bottom level of the Remake Center is filled with horses, chariots, and people. Kajal and I weave our way through the crowd, muttering "excuse me" and dodging people's elbows, until we reach Gale and his stylist, Arvon.

"Hey, there, Little Duck," he says, smiling.

I giggle. "Hey yourself."

He raises an eyebrow, and I blush. At this time last night, we were kissing in the train car.

I turn away, and the little girl from Eight catches my eye .She's even smaller than I thought, with light brown hair and dark eyes, wearing a,rainbow colored dress. She hides in the shadows while her district partner talks to the stylists.

It's obvious that they want nothing to do with her.

"I think her name's Silk," Gale says softly.

It's obvious that Silk shouldn't be here. If this were an ordinary year, she wouldn't even be in the Reaping.

"Alright, it's almost time for the parade. Get into the chariot." Arvon orders.

Gale climbs in first, then pulls me in after him.

"Wait!" yells Kajal. She presses a small yellow circle on my shoulder.

Instantly my outfit starts to glow with an inner light.

Gale's costume does the same, and we watch Kajal jump down just as the chariot starts to move.

"Remember what Effie told us. 'Chins up, smiles on!'"

Gale starts to laugh, and he grabs my hand just as we enter the city circle.

* * *

"Congratulations, sweetheart." Haymitch slaps me on the back and I wince.

"Watch it."

"You did great, Prim." Katniss smiles at me.

"Thanks." I look around at the other tributes and notice that Silk is watching us from a corner.

Katniss follows my gaze. "It's awful. I know. There's nothing we can do about it, though."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

I walk over to the little girl.

"I'm Primrose," I say softly.

"She gives me a small smile. "I'm Silk."

"I..." what was I going to say? I can't think of anything. "It'll be okay. I won't let them hurt you."

Her smile grows wider, and something ignites inside of me, almost like a match being lit.

"Thank you, Primrose."

* * *

I sit on a balcony overlooking the City Circle, watching the lights and the tiny people on the streets below.

The door opens and Gale comes out, standing behind me and gently touching my shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. We're going into the arena, and there's Silk, and... I just don't know."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

He pulls me closer, and I know he's going to kiss me.

And he does, but this time I don't push him away. Instead, I kiss him back, because who knows how much longer we have.

"May I ask what's going on here?" says a familiar voice.

**Do NOT leave until you post a review!**


	7. Chapter 7

_Oh, you can hear me cry, see my dreams all die, from where you're standing on your own. It's so quiet here, and I feel so cold, this house no longer feels like home._

So Cold by Ben Clocks

* * *

Gale and I hastily break apart, guilty looks on our faces.

I'm glad it's dark so they can't see me blush.

Katniss and Peeta stand in the doorway, identical glares on their faces.

"And just what do you think you're doing with my little sister?"

I blush even redder, and Gale seems at a loss for words. "Ummmmm..."

Is she...jealous?

Suddenly I don't see the Training Center. I see Katniss, clutching Gale's hand as my mother and I try to heal the wounds on his back, tears streaming down her face.

Maybe it's not Peeta that she loves.

"Prim. This can't happen. You're too young. The Capitol will slaughter you both if this happens in the arena. Peeta and I barely made it out alive. Think of the consequences."

I already have. "I can't be your Little Duck forever, Katniss," I say hollowly. Then, without another word, I brush past her and run to my room, reopening the door and slamming it again because it wasn't loud enough the first time.

The tears start to flow freely, and I scream into my pillow for a few minutes.

"It's not FAIR! It's not!" I shout, not caring who hears me.

Because it isn't. I miss District Twelve, our little house in the Seam, the freedom to be alone when I wanted to be, Gale taking me out into the woods while Katniss was in the Games.

I remember the first time well. It was about two days into the Games and I hadn't done much but sit there and watch Katniss. In the Training Center. In the Opening Ceremony. Everything.

It was my mother who answered the door when Gale knocked, but his voice could be heard clearly, even from where I was.

"I want to see Prim."

At the time, he was just a friend, so I didn't feel the thing inside me. Not until much later.

"She's in the next room," I heard my mother say, and when Gale walked in, I was sitting on the bed, hugging my knees, facing the wall.

"C'mon, Prim. We're going to the woods."

I had terrible aim with the small bow and arrows, and didn't manage to hit anything but the trees that day. But none of that mattered. What mattered was spending time with Gale.

Time that's now gone, slipped away like autumn leaves in a breeze.

"Primrose?"

Great. It's Haymitch. One of the last people I want to talk to right now. And besides that, I'm just plain embarrassed.

I mean, really. Katniss and Peeta must have told him all about it by now. The Little Duck kissing Gale. Who would have known?

But like I told Katniss, I'm not her Little Duck anymore. I'm no longer the girl who begged to see the pretty cakes in the bakery window, or cried to save a scrawny orange kitten.

I'm the girl who keeps secrets from her sister, and knows how to heal bleeding wounds, and let Gale kiss her.

"Go away, Haymitch," I mumble into my pillow.

"Primrose, I just wanted to say-"

"I've already heard it all from Katniss. Leave me alone."

"- It's going to be fine."

Wait. Did I hear him right? These words coming from Haymitch are so strange that I stop for a moment to listen.

"Everybody loses it. But nothing lasts forever. And by the way, nice goin'. I've never seen Peeta unable to think of anything to say before."

I can't help it. I smile. And then start to laugh. After a moment, Haymitch joins in.

I laugh harder as I picture the look on Katniss's face.

Even though I'm going to die, I've got to be able to have fun once in a while.

**Primrose says to review. But please be nice! (Especially if your name is TributeAndProud and you're my best friend.)**


	8. Chapter 8

_I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus. This is it, the apocalypse_, _whoa_.

Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

* * *

In the morning, I can't even look Katniss in the eye.

Nobody talks much during breakfast until eventually Haymitch says, "look. We need to get over whatever complications we might have with each other-" he gives a pointed look at me and Katniss-" and start working as a team. That's the only way either Gale or Primrose will make it home."

I look at Katniss for a minute, unsure if I can face the pain, or jealousy, or whatever else is brewing behind her eyes.

"Fine." she mutters, staring at the ground.

Before I know it, it's time to head to the training gym. Gale and I step into the elevator, not talking. Finally he leans against the wall and says, "that was weird. Last night I mean."

"Yeah," I say, but I'm not referring to everyone's reactions. I'm referring to the strange, aching weakness I felt when he was kissing me.

Is that the reason why Katniss won't talk to me now?

"Prim. Is something wrong?"

"I...Not really, besides the fact that I'm going to die soon."

"No. You're not." He crosses the elevator and takes my face in his hands. "You have to hold on. I won't let you die. It won't happen. Okay?"

I nod, suddenly remembering that I made the same promise to Silk last night.

All three of us can't win.

"There's twenty-four of us, and only one comes out," I say fearfully.

"Yeah. And it's gonna be you." He looks distant for a moment, as if remembering something from long ago.

Just then, the doors open and we step out into the Training Center.

We aren't the first ones to arrive, but I count only eight other tributes, including Silk and the District One woman.

Silk gives me a small smile, and I wave. Her district partner, whose name, I have learned, is Twine, gives us an odd look.

As the rest of the tributes trickle in, I look around the room. The arsenal of weapons takes my breath away. Knives, swords, tridents, bows, spears, you name it.

Atala, the head trainer, clears her throat and begins a speech.

Gale rolls his eyes and leans against a wall.

"...everyone wants to grab a sword, but lots of you will die from natural causes. Ten percent from infection, twenty percent from dehydration. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife."

Good thing to keep in mind. Atala ends her lecture, and I see Gale's eyes wander to the bows and the knot tying station.

"Where should we start?" he asks.

I suggest we split up,thus covering more ground, and because I don't feel like spending the morning making snares.

He agrees, and soon I'm in the line for the low ropes while he makes snares.I watch the boy from Eleven fall off the low ropes, yelling a word that makes the woman from One wince.

Soon it's my turn, and before I know it, I'm climbing around by the ceiling. I feel so safe up here. Nobody can hurt me or even come close to me.

Just like the mockingjays.

I quietly whistle Rue's four note run, imagining her and me and Katniss in the woods, safe and sound.

I wish that such a state was possible. But it never was, anywhere, any way.

The arrow flies into the heart of the mockingjay.

**Please review if you have any arena ideas! Heck, just review anyway!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I will own the Hunger Games on the day when Effie is late to the Reaping** :)

_Hold my place, don't you give up on me. Hold on. Hold on..._

The River by Imagine Dragons

* * *

"Up, up, up! It's time for another big, big day!"

I groan and put my pillow over my head. Effie is hard to handle even on normal days. And today is definitely NOT a normal day.

Tonight is interview night, and Effie's job is to make us presentable. I'm not looking forward to spending an entire day with Effie, but it's better than spending the day with my prep team, who's favorite activity is ripping all the hair off my body.

"Primrose Everdeen!" she yells, and bursts through the door, literally dragging me out of bed.

"Okay, okay. I'm up." To reinforce this, I grab a shirt and pants out of the closet and head for the showers.

I'm worried about the interview. I got a seven in training last night for my climbing and knife throwing, which I'm not too bad at actually if I don't have to throw from far away. As Effie puts it, ' everyone wants to hear about the Girl on Fire's little sister with a seven in training.

What kind of questions will they ask? Will they figure out about Gale and me? And most importantly, how do I stay under the Capitol's radar?

* * *

"No, no, NO!" Effie scolds me. "Your skirt should never be above the ankles. NEVER above the ankles!"

With a superhuman effort, I manage not to roll my eyes. We've been at it for over an hour, and I'm ready to take off these stupid high heels and throw them like knives, right at Effie's head.

Gale's too, if he keeps snickering like that.

"It's not funny." I give him a death glare.

"I never said it was."

Forget kissing him. I want to kill him.

Like a little kid, I stick my tongue out at Gale. And this time he can't help it. He laughs, and eventually I start to laugh, too. Even Effie is suppressing a smile.

"Now, now, children. We don't have time for this."

I'm about to say that we're not children, never really have been, but Effie doesn't give me a chance.

"Now we'll work on smiling..."

**Sorry, this was kind of a filler, but the next one will be longer, I promise.**

**(P. S. Deep in the meadow, under the willow, please click the review button!)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry this took so long to post. My mom stole my kindle and refused to give it back until I cleaned under my bed (in fact I still haven't done it and I still don't have it back) and I got braces yesterday. Which hurt like HELL ('scuse me) because the pain meds aren't working. And I'm on a diet of yogurt, applesauce, and ice cream for the next few days because I can't bite down on anything... which SUCKS because I FEEL LIKE I LIVE IN DISTRICT TWELVE SINCE WE RAN OUT OF APPLESAUCE.**

**So. Anyway.**

* * *

_Oh Lord, Oh Lord, he's somewhere between __a hangman's knot, and three mouths to feed_. _There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose_, _he did what he had to do._ _Oh he did what he had to do..._

Devil's Backbone by the Civil Wars

* * *

I clench my hands tight around the fabric of the yellow dress, tense with nerves and no small amount of pain. Pain over what he said to me, just before we left our quarters in the training center.

"Prim, we can't go on like this. Pretending that whatever happened between us doesn't exist, that we aren't anything more than good friends."

"It's complicated," I had said back, annoyed. "There's the Games, and Katniss-"

"So you'd give me up because of something your sister said? Prim, this isn't going to work. Either we're together, or we aren't. The decision is yours to make, but I'm not sure if I want to be with you anymore. if it's going to be like this."

We ignored each other for the rest of the ride here.

And I wonder if all of this has changed him. Volunteering for Rory, the Capitol, whatever is going on with me and him.  
He doesn't seem like the Gale who hunted in the woods with Katniss, who talked of rebellion when the Capitol wasn't watching.

As the districts slip by, 1, 2, 3, 4, I hum an old, half-remembered song that my sister used to sing to me. She stopped singing around people, long ago, but sometimes I could hear her sing it out back when she thought nobody was listening.

_Are you, are you coming to the tree  
Where they strung up a man they say murdered three_  
_Strange things did happen here no stranger would it be_  
_if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

Yes, I think. Yes they did.

And then it's Silk's turn. Poor little Silk who shouldn't have been in the Reaping.

I can't save all of us.

How am I supposed to make the choice?

I don't know, so for a few minutes I sit still and silent, listening to Silk's interview.

She has a little brother named Reed and a little sister named Tess.

Her father is dead, like mine.

She likes to hide, and "can hide well enough so they can't hurt me."

Before I know it, it's my turn, and my hands are shaking as I sit down in the chair next to Caesar.

"So. Primrose, what's it like? Actually having to participate in the Games this year?"

_Think, Prim. Think._

_"_It's kinda scary, actually," I say truthfully. "I don't have very good survival skills, and I'm not sure I can win. But I at least have to try."

Caesar nods. "Yes, that must be very hard for you. But you're not completely hopeless. After all, you have a seven in training. How did you get such a good score?'

I give a slight smile. "Not telling."

"Your sister seems to love you a lot," he says, and even though it's not a question I nod.

"She saved my life. I'm pretty sure if I had gone in last year, I would've died. And I love her too. She's my favorite person in the whole world." Take that, Gale.

"And what did you tell her after you got Reaped?"

"I..." I swallow hard. "I told her that I would try not to die."

The Capitol audience titters, and the buzzer goes off.

"Very well, Primrose. I think our time together is up. Let's give a big hand for our lovely Primrose Everdeen!"

**gotta go. Time for more yogurt. Happy hunger games, and may the odds be ever in your favor! (The odds may be in my favor, but my braces aren't. The inside of my lip is almost bleeding)**


	11. Chapter 11

_Summer has come and passed  
The innocent can never last  
Wake me up when September ends_

-Wake me up When September Ends by Green Day

* * *

I can't sleep tonight.

Hundreds, _thousands _of horrors run through my mind, and every time I close my eyes I see them. My imminent death. Gale's death. Little Silk lying on the ground with the life bleeding out of her, so much like Rue from last year's Games.

The fear is killing me.

I curl up into a ball and wrap the blankets tightly around me, shivering from fear and cold.

After maybe an hour of this, I can't take it anymore. I grab my blanket and tiptoe out into the hallway, carefully latching he door behind me.

I walk to the window and look out over the gigantic city, at all the sleeping people who can't wait to watch me die.

"Prim?"

I turn around. Katniss sits on the couch, a sheet wrapped around here. She must've been here the whole time.

"Hi," I say cautiously. She hasn't really spoken to me since she caught me with Gale, and I want to fix things with her. Before it's too late.

"Can't sleep?" Katniss asks, and i nod, settling on the couch next to her.

"I'm so, so scared," I whisper. "I don't think I can do this."

"You can and you will," she insists, her eyes boring into mine. "Gale will protect you no matter what. Peeta and I will be working on this end of things, getting you sponsors. Food. Medicine. It's going to be okay."

"But Katniss... what if Snow wants me dead? If that's the case, I have no chance."

"He doesn't," she assures me. "You haven't done anything wrong. It's me he wants to hurt."

"Yeah. And the way to get through to you is to hurt me."

"Primrose, I realize that everything i do reflects back on you and Mom. But if he hurts you, there's no surer way to start a rebellion. Some of the districts have had uprisings already."

I look at the ground.

"When you go out there, don't do anything stupid, okay?Whatever you do, don't go in for the bloodbath. Just get out of there, find some water, some trees. And stick with Gale." She embraces me, and I hug her back, just like we used to do. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

I walk back to my room, my blanket trailing behind me like I'm a little kid from the Seam, and Katniss follows me.

'Want me to tuck you in?"

I nod. "And sing the valley song for me, please."

With a small cough, she begins.

"_Down in the valley, the valley so low,  
__Hang your head over, hear the wind blow  
__Hear the wind blow, dear, hear the wind blow;__  
__Hang your head over, hear the wind blow._

_Roses love sunshine, violets love dew,  
__Angels in Heaven know I love you,  
__Know I love you, dear, know I love you,  
__Angels in Heaven know I love you._

_If you don't love me, love whom you please,  
__Throw your arms 'round me, give my heart ease,  
__Give my heart ease, dear, give my heart ease,  
__Throw your arms 'round me, give my heart ease._

_Build me a castle, forty feet high;  
__So I can see her as she rides by,  
__As she rides by, dear, as she rides by,  
__So I can see her as she rides by."_

I close my eyes and give a small smile. "Goodnight Katniss."

"Goodnight little duck." She tiptoes out of the room and gently closes the door behind her as I finally drift off to sleep.

I sleep without knowing. I sleep without dreams.


	12. Chapter 12

_Down where the river bends, that's where you're waiting. You are the reason I'm making these tracks in the snow._

_There's a box in my hands as I go, wrapped up in scarlet and gold, for you_

Tracks in the Snow by the Civil Wars

* * *

I don't see Gale in the morning. Instead, I am given black pants and a burgundy tunic to dress in, and served breakfast in my room. I wolf down the pancakes and eggs as fast as is humanly possible. There's no need for me to die on an empty stomach.

Because, yes, I'm going to die. There's no way around it. I'll be lucky if I last ten minutes. I'm the youngest and smallest (besides Silk) and I'm not strong or particularly fast. An easy target.

The door opens and Katniss slips in, the door dividing her body in half. "You ready?" she asks.

I nod, and follow her to the elevator and up to the roof, where a hovercraft awaits.

Just before I move to step onto the ladder, my sister pulls me to her and wraps me in a tight hug.

"Stay alive, and remember who the real enemy is," she whispers fiercely, and I nod. What more is there to say?

As soon as I climb onto the ladder, an electric current freezes me in place and the ladder lifts me up into the hovercraft. I'm still stuck to the ladder when a woman in a white coat approaches me, holding a huge needle. My throat goes dry.

"This is your tracker, Primrose. The stiller you are, the easier it is for me to inject it."

I feel a sharp stab of pain as the metal object slides into my arm, deep under my skin. Something glows beneath it, and the needle is pulled out of my arm. The current releases me, and I find myself sprawled across the floor.

The woman in the white coat helps me to my feet and guides me to a chair in the next room of the hovercraft. With a gasp, I realize that all the tributes are contained in this room- except for Gale.

Is there something wrong? Why isn't he here?

I shakily take my seat. Silk gives me a small smile from across the room, and I return it, but I'm not paying attention. My hands clench into fists around the seat belt and I can't think. As the minutes pass, I become more and more worried. Where is Gale?

Finally, he enters the room. Blood trickles from a cut on his face, but he seems otherwise unharmed.

He doesn't look at me as he takes a seat in the far corner and the hovercraft starts to move.

Twenty minutes later, the hovercraft lands and we're guided to separate Launch Rooms in the underground facility.

Kajal waits for me in my room with a glass of water and a plate of bread and cheese.

"Try to eat something,"she says. "You'll need to keep up your strength."

I can't stomach the food, but I accept the water, taking tiny sips as Kajal drapes a brown jacket over my shoulders and pins my sister's mockingjay pin to the lapel.

"Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor," she says.

I manage to smile a tiny bit.

But then the fear is overwhelming me, pressing on my chest so that I can't breathe or think or speak, and oh my God I'm going to die today. Soon. I can probably count on my fingers the number of hours I have left. I'm too young to die.

"I don't want to die," I whisper.

"You won't." Kajal gives me a kiss on the cheek. "You'll be just fine. Your sister's looking out for you."

I wish I could believe that.


End file.
